[S]he Conquers Who Endures

2.2 mile warmup, 10k race, 2.2 mile cool down. Snowy and hilly! Got to wear my yak trax. :) This was a beautiful but difficult race for me. I'm coming off a killer week last week and I knew I had 17 miles to tackle the next day. Regardless, I gave it my all. Finished in 7:21 min/mile pace. Not too shabby! Won 2nd overall female and 1st in my age group. Gotta recover up for 17 tomorrow!

The point of racing the day before this long run was to get teach yourself to fight fatigue. Well, it did just that! Most the run felt like I had already run 20 miles I guess that fast hill work the day before took a lot out of me. I tried to not put too much pressure on myself especially after running 22 miles at 8:03 pace last week. I focused on good form to prevent injury. Wrapped 17 miles up with a 8:29 min/mi average pace. Felt somewhat strong at the end like I could push a mile or two at sub 8, but at a high risk of injury. Good to know what my options are at the end of the marathon if I'm borderline on BQ-ing! Humbling but a confidence booster at the same time. Glad it's over and I know I can do those back-to-back hard days. 

Just to prove how much I want this BQ time, I actually skipped the routine warm epsom salt bath followed by ice protocol and instead did a 20 min ice water bath soak!!! Holy moley! That sucked at the beginning, but my legs hadn't felt better in a couple weeks than after this bath!! Just have some muscle soreness in my glutes, probably from all those hills. I can't believe I'm really doing this. Supercompensating from this week after last week is going to really set me up for some good performances if I just stay injury-free!!! 

Full rest recovery day. Supercompensate, soft tissue!!! I will get you massaged tonight, so treat me good! :)

12 miles at steady state pace. Really didn't want to do this run. I think because of all the nightmares I've been having about running slow and it's my last midweek 12 miler before the race! Well, got it done and surprised myself by running faster than last week's 12 miler. 7:34 min/mi average pace! Next two weeks these runs become 11 miles with 2 less bridge repeats, then taper!!!

8 miles recovery run. Needed this. 9:10 min/mi average pace.

Track workout. 2.3 mile warmup, 4x1200m at 5k race pace with 600m recovery, 2.3 mile cool down. Splits were: 

4:58.3 (6:39 min/mi)

4:55.8 (6:36 min/mi)

4:58.1 (6:39 min/mi)

4:56.7 (6:38 min/mi)

No PRs but consistency. First time holding pace below 6:40 min/mi so maybe that counts as a PR. :) Not bad after the hard last couple of weeks of running and my increasing severity in stomach issues (i.e., not back with an intestine feeling like it's tied up in a cute, little bow). 

No bikram. Issues leaving the parking garage. Oh well, just double up on weights instead!!! No running today, active rest day.

5 easy miles in FL at 9:06 min/mi average pace. 66 and 100% humidity. It's so weird running in shorts and a tank!!!

Massage later to get ready for Sunday's long run. 

18 miles in FL w 14 miles at marathon pace. 66F and 100% humidity at start, finished around 11:10am with 75F and 73% humidity. So, so hot after training in the north!! Marathon pace miles were 7:56 min/mi, and overall average pace was 8:00 min/mi. Wow, I couldn't have pushed harder in the end. I gave it my all. I felt so close to passing out from the heat. This is the worst it could be. Disney starts at 5:30am, so as long as I'm on track to finishing in 3:35, I should be done around 9:05am and not have to deal with this heat. Plus, I will gain some fitness and climatization from this run. Only 2 more long runs until taper!!! :)

11 miles at steady state pace. 7:34 min/mi average pace. Wow, I think the pre-taper madness is kicking in because I felt like this run wasn't good enough!! Gotta get rid of the negative vibes and claim back my attitude that I can conquer anything!! Now...how to do that...

4 miles at recovery pace with 6x0.1 mile strides. I voluntarily ran on the treadmill for this one!! I just needed a break from the cold, dark, uneven footing outside. This turned out to be a pretty enjoyable run. Entire run was at 1% incline. 9:13 min/mi average pace minus strides. Strides were at 10 MPH. It felt really, really good to force my legs to do faster turnover.

3 mile warmup, 4x400m with 200m recovery, then 2x800m with 400m recovery, and 2 mile cool down. I didn't have high expectations for this workout. I stepped on glass the night before and it went pretty deep in my foot and I woke up with a sore throat, ugh. Well, all my ailments miraculously faded as my speed picked up and even set a couple of training PRs! Paces were:

400m: 1:30, 1:31.9, 1:32.2, 1:26.9 mins or 5:56, 6:10, 6:10; 5:50 min/mi (had to hang on to the fast girls who have already BQed in the last split!)

800m: 3:16.2 and 3:10.6 mins or 6:32 and 6:22 min/mi (both of these were PRs for me, both surprising felt somewhat relaxed prob from decreasing speed after doing the 400s)

Every time I doubt myself or think I have some pain or ailment that will prohibit me from performing well I always surprise myself, yet I continue to doubt myself. I am getting so nervous for this marathon because it's getting closer and closer to the taper. I've hit all the training paces that predict a marathon time well below BQ pace. I'm sure these feelings are natural, I know I have to change my attitude and go into this race confident, pace smart, and I will achieve my goal. 9 days left of training until taper!!!

Oh and found out I have a 3 digit bib number for the marathon. Pretty cool because the bibs go up to 5 digits! Just hoping I get into the first corral. From experience I know Disney can start out slooooooowwwww because of the runners who don't focus on their time. 

Bikram! Active recovery day. Holy cow, heat felt more overwhelming than normal. That's fine, who knows the temps at Disney! Hopefully I increased vascularization. :)

Rainy and windy. 2.5 mile warmup at 9:18 min/mi pace and 3 mile cool down at 9:15 min/mi pace. 

This race was something else. I woke up and my head cold was pretty bad - a lot of head congestion, but luckily none in my chest. I knew it would be rainy and debated about skipping the race rest up. I decided I was not sick enough for that. Because of the weather and my cold, I had to let go of pressure to PR. The race was north on the lakefront with a 14 MPH tailwind that would turn into a tailwind coming back. My first mile was sub 7, whoops! Second mile around 7 flat, feeling pretty good. Dropped a guy that was hanging onto me around mile 2.5. Then, heading back, bam! Got slammed with that headwind. Just focused on fighting through. Just when I felt like I didn't have anymore steam, then the 10k met up with the 5k walkers. Great, now I have to run around people to boot! Kept pushing through and whittling away the mileage. Less than a mile left, the wind was just too much and I couldn't breath - my congestion was draining into my throat. Alas, I spot a guy running the 10k who passed me around mile 2. He was wearing a Boston marathon running jacket. At that point I decided I can't give up. I kept his jacket in sight and focus on my long-term goal...to earn that jacket. I hung on long enough and we rounded the corner picking up speed. With 100 m left, I decided to finish strong. Kicked past him as he tells me "take it". Love these kind of runners! PR-ed, by 2 seconds. Yeah, not a lot but considering the conditions and my training schedule (ran 18 miles at 8:00 min/mi pace Sunday, PR-ed in trackwork Thursday), I'd say that was a pretty amazing time. :) I will check that workout off my calendar with relish.

Two weeks ago, when I ran 17 miles the day after racing a 10k it was pretty tough. I had to push to finish in 8:30 min/mi average pace. My goal for this run was to average 8:20 to 8:30 min/mi pace. I ran with a friend, we were chatting most of the way and ended up averaging 8:07 min/mi pace. Oh my gosh! How? I don't know. I didn't look at my watch until mile 6. I just was going by feel. I will say miles 14-16 were pretty tough and felt like miles 24-26, which is the point of racing the day before. We finished strong with a last mile sub 8. And I did this sick to boot! T-7 days until taper. :)

11 miles sick as a dog!! I'm actually glad I'm sick now. I have time to get better before the marathon. I got sick before Chicago one year 4 days out and ran it sick and miserable (more miserable than other marathons). This run is usually at steady state pace (7:34 to 7:50 min/mi) although Pfitzinger says to run it around aerobic pace. I averaged 7:53 min/mi so I guess this was more like marathon pace. Still a good run. Just need to focus on maintaining fitness while not pushing too hard that I don't get better!! Went to dr. before run. Sickness is above the neck (minus cough due to post nasal drip). Wasn't able to get an rx bc they think it's viral, but I got approval to continue training. Thank goodness I had a dr who's son runs marathons and understands the importance of training!! The best thing about going to the dr is hearing from multiple people that I must be an athlete bc my resting hr is so low. Haha.

Recovery run with 6x0.1mi strides. My body is so exhausted from being sick and probably also from my hard effort this past weekend. I wasn't having a cold run in the dark on the uneven path, so I ran the treadmill with 1% incline and watched the Biggest Loser on my ipad to keep me pumped. 6.5 MPH recovery pace (9:13 min/mi) and strides were at 10 MPH (6:00 min/mi). The strides were extremely energizing and by the end, I felt so in control and relaxed at that pace. 4 days with 3 runs left until taper!

Track workout on the treadmill!! Still trying to shake this head cold and didn't want to push my pace outside in the cold so away I went on the treadmill. 2.5 mile warmup at 9:13 min/mi pace then 4x0.75 mi repeats with 0.4 mi recoveries at 6:35 min/mi pace. Then 2.9 mi cool down at 9:03 min/mi pace. I don't want to skip training because I'm sick but I'm worried about pushing too hard because I won't get over being sick! I think I'm balancing okay so far. Hopefully this 20 miler this weekend won't send my cold in a tailspin. 3 more days until taper!

Skipped bikram so I could rest up instead and try and shake this cold. Did a bunch of weights at home instead. Feeling pretty recovered from last night's treadmill workout! :) 

4 mile recovery run in Chicago at 9:10 min/mi average pace. So cold out, looked like a ninja with a fleece wrapped around my face!

I have been sick with a head cold and was worried about this run, my last push before taper. I was counting on falling to running with my friend to pull me through most of the mileage. I got a text the night before the run that my friend was sick and wasn't able to run, and my stomach sank. I actually started crying the morning of my run because I was so scared! What is wrong with me! My fiance is so supportive, he drove me to the path and said he'd be tracking me on his phone while I ran. Well, I ran what felt like a comfortable pace. I was expecting to feel pretty broken down by mile 18 because my pace was a little faster. Mile 18 came and went, a little soreness but nothing too terrible. So did 19. The final mile all my soreness went away and I started floating. My adrenaline kicked in as I imagined running through EPCOT at the last mile of the marathon. When I saw the finish line (aka mile marker) I saw my finace standing by the path. I kicked it to a higher gear and finished my last mile in a 7:22 pace. My overall pace was 7:54 min/mi...for 20 miles...and I started crying before I stopped running. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! I WILL BQ!!! Let the taper begin!

6 miles recovery run at 9:10 min/mi pace in Florida. It felt so amazing to run in warmer weather! Disney weather!

I think taper madness is already sinking in! I stayed up late the night before planning out my next round of training (for Big Sur) and thinking about what my schedule should be for summer and what race(s) to run for fall. Well, I feel good because I decided on a plan! I decided to take a 3 week recovery after Disney then hop on the Pfitzinger 12 week peak at 70 miles. I was initially worried about this, but I think the short time at higher mileage will make it easier to hit the 18 week peak at 70 miles this summer. Besides, I can drop my pace a little to build mileage because there's no speed pressure for Big Sur. I haven't picked a marathon out for October yet, but I have a couple in mind. I am excited to see how it feels to run a marathon after peaking at 70 miles! I write this as I still don't know what it's like to run a marathon after peaking at 57 miles. Haha! Yup, taper madness...

4 miles at recovery pace with 6x0.1 mile strides and 0.1 mile walking recovery. Recovery pace was around 9:05 min/mi. It was pretty sweet to run in only a shorts and my sports bra in Florida. I haven't done strides outside in several weeks. I have been doing them on the treadmill and limited to 6:00 min/mi pace (max speed of treadmill). My paces outside were: 5:52, 5:14, 5:02, 5:13, 5:14, and 4:50 min/mi. The last was a PR for me. My legs felt so nice afterwards. The previous 3 times I did strides outside average paces were: 5:42, 5:35, 5:48 min/mi and today 5:14! Wahooo! Guess my legs are already hitting the road to recovery. T minus 18 days until marathon.

Indoor track workout. Ladder: 200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m. There were fewer people at the workout because of Christmas break. I had to run with some new girls who said their 5k race pace target was 6:35. Okay, that's about mine or a little faster. I felt like I held back so much the first half of the workout. I finished the 2nd half solo and these were my paces (5k pace should be 49.1 for 6:35 min/mi):

200m: 43.6 (5:50.8 min/mi) 

400m: 1:31.5 (6:08.1 min/mi) 

600m: 2:22.8 (6:23.0 min/mi) 

800m: 3:13.4 (6:29.1 min/mi)

800m: 3:08.3 (6:18.8 min/mi) *** A new PR!!! :)

600m: 2:19.4 (6:13.9 min/mi)

400m: 1:29.3 (5:59.3 min/mi)

200m: 41.9 (5:37.2 min/mi) 

So, yea, I was holding back. I have never done much track work. It's so much fun and the miles fly!!! I especially love running on the indoor track in summer clothes when it's freezing outside! T minus 17 days and 10 training runs left until marathon! 

Active recovery. Got up before 5am to head to Bikram and they were closed!!! People, there is no time off for your health especially when there's a marathon coming up!! I went home, caught another hour of sleep and got some good weight and core work done instead. T minus 16 days until marathon!

My first 5k since April! I PR'ed. It wasn't a PR course, a little icy and more hilly than I'm used to (83 ft total ascent). These results aren't official yet, but this may be my first race averaging sub 7s! It's crazy how far my running has come in such a short time. I first broke sub 8s in a 5k a year ago in July, and I haven't even been focusing on VO2max speed!

2.25 mile warmup, 5k race, then 4.65 mile cool down.

T minus 15 days and only 9 runs left until marathon! 

16 miles. Started in Central Park, NY, ended on treadmill. I didn't realize Central Park would be so hilly (compared to what I'm used to). My run Saturday was more hilly than normal as well. Around mile 6, my knee started pinching on the inside - the same injury that sidelined me for a month this summer. I gave it until mile 8 then decided to find a treadmill somewhere and finish the run there. This is taper and my long run should not be this hard. Run in Central Park was 8:03 min/mi pace and total average with treadmill was 8:12 min/mi pace...finished strong. Hoping I didn't "cop out" by quitting and going to the treadmill. It's tough figuring out the right decision when taper madness is fogging up your brain!

Rest day...active recover walking around NYC. :) Happy New Year's Eve!